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The end of the Phantom 4 and coming of the Phantom 5?
Had a little chat with a guy who works for DJI and was told the following. Production of all Phantom 4 series has stopped including the P4P V2.0. The sales of all the Phantom 4 series has plummeted, they are many around and DJI are just not able to sell them. So, it’s the end of the line for the P4? They won’t be made anymore?
Now that's what I was told, I wasn’t asked to be silent on it, if I was asked, I would have said nothing.
So, if you were in that position what would you do? Mr DJI that is. You know there is a market for better, more expensive AC than a P4, you know people will buy it, like you, yes you would. I would.
Don’t get me wrong I think the latest P4 is an awesome bit of tech, I have a Mavic 2 and the P4, for me is way better. It just feels better, I can do things with it I can’t with the Mavic. But I would like more, and I would pay more.
But what would I pay for and what would you pay for?
I would like it to have a significant zoom while keeping the same if not better quality than the P4P v2. Interchangeable lens or not.
I would like it to be more portable, possible a more foldable P4P, not necessarily smaller in width but height. If only those legs could fold up in transport.
I would not pay for ready to fly Inspire 2 for around 10,000 AU or combo at 20,000 unless I worked my *** off or won lotto. Neither are going to happen. Besides the thing is just too big. All that size, weight and messing around getting it in the air.
But I would buy a P5 which is a better machine, zoom, longer battery life, easy to carry and quicker to deploy. How much would I pay? Well the P4P v2 combo, and you really need the combo for it to make any sense, is about 3,300 AU. So somewhere between 3 – 20,000.
I would pay about 6-7,000 if I sold my other drones and put a bit more in.
A machine like that would be worth it for me and last me quite a few years. So as a hobbyist or pro or mixture of both I think the market is there.
I think it makes economic sense for the P5 to be ready and waiting. I am sure it exists sitting in a lab, not perhaps ready to be mass produced next week but soon. Apart from what the DJI guy told me in the first paragraph, this is all conjecture. Oh, there will be the usual little surprise that no one expected to add spice the sales pitch, such as AI interactivity.
“P5, go over to that island and give survey it from 300 feet and look for any wildlife.” Or, “Based on what data I want you to research go see if you can find sharks, dolphins or whales in this area.”
If nothing else its food for thought or at least some entertainment.

Moderator

Production of all Phantom 4 series has stopped including the P4P V2.0. The sales of all the Phantom 4 series has plummeted, they are many around and DJI are just not able to sell them. So, it’s the end of the line for the P4? They won’t be made anymore?

There's something odd happening with the P4 pro being out of stock for so long but you're probably joining dots that aren't there, by guessing that means a P5 is coming soon.
DJI have never gone out of stock on a model prior to releasing its successor.
We've been seeing photos of prototypes of the P5 (or P4E) for over a year now but DJI don't seem to be in any hurry to release it.

Sales of the spark and Mavic Air have taken off and many, like me have bought one. I’ll keep the phantom, but the others are so easy to transport, and get less attention, so maybe DJI are holding back to see how the market goes. Business is business.

I see it like this, the Phantom series has always done well, hence there have been 4 lines, and their variations. I don't buy the argument that they don't sell well enough to continue the line. As far as portability and size of footprint in the sky goes, thats always been a trade off all Phantom owners are happy with and many prefer as they are more stable. Dji knows all this. And they know the market for a P5 exists. Maybe they are waiting for all the new regulation changes in process in different countries (notably the UK and Canada) to release a new model so they can be sure it will be compliant. I would love to see a P5 released and I would buy it unseen.

John, you draw way too many conclusions and stated desires from a rumor. Your tales of what the non-existent P5 will do are amusing at best. These kinds of threads always run long on the Canon and Nikon forums with so many dreamers spewing so many dreams until they believe it's the truth. By the time a newcomer to the thread arrives, around page three or four of the thread, they think it's all real after seeing the progression of fantasy develop. Let's keep our feet on the ground and our heads in reality.

The last Phantom was a piece of flaming turd; that probably didnt help sales, or production. The V2.0 is crap, ive completely given up on it. Cant fly a straight line, or sit still. They need to fix the flight controller before they keep trying to release more BS features.

The end of the Phantom 4 and coming of the Phantom 5?
Had a little chat with a guy who works for DJI and was told the following. Production of all Phantom 4 series has stopped including the P4P V2.0. The sales of all the Phantom 4 series has plummeted, they are many around and DJI are just not able to sell them. So, it’s the end of the line for the P4? They won’t be made anymore?
Now that's what I was told, I wasn’t asked to be silent on it, if I was asked, I would have said nothing.
So, if you were in that position what would you do? Mr DJI that is. You know there is a market for better, more expensive AC than a P4, you know people will buy it, like you, yes you would. I would.
Don’t get me wrong I think the latest P4 is an awesome bit of tech, I have a Mavic 2 and the P4, for me is way better. It just feels better, I can do things with it I can’t with the Mavic. But I would like more, and I would pay more.
But what would I pay for and what would you pay for?
I would like it to have a significant zoom while keeping the same if not better quality than the P4P v2. Interchangeable lens or not.
I would like it to be more portable, possible a more foldable P4P, not necessarily smaller in width but height. If only those legs could fold up in transport.
I would not pay for ready to fly Inspire 2 for around 10,000 AU or combo at 20,000 unless I worked my *** off or won lotto. Neither are going to happen. Besides the thing is just too big. All that size, weight and messing around getting it in the air.
But I would buy a P5 which is a better machine, zoom, longer battery life, easy to carry and quicker to deploy. How much would I pay? Well the P4P v2 combo, and you really need the combo for it to make any sense, is about 3,300 AU. So somewhere between 3 – 20,000.
I would pay about 6-7,000 if I sold my other drones and put a bit more in.
A machine like that would be worth it for me and last me quite a few years. So as a hobbyist or pro or mixture of both I think the market is there.
I think it makes economic sense for the P5 to be ready and waiting. I am sure it exists sitting in a lab, not perhaps ready to be mass produced next week but soon. Apart from what the DJI guy told me in the first paragraph, this is all conjecture. Oh, there will be the usual little surprise that no one expected to add spice the sales pitch, such as AI interactivity.
“P5, go over to that island and give survey it from 300 feet and look for any wildlife.” Or, “Based on what data I want you to research go see if you can find sharks, dolphins or whales in this area.”
If nothing else its food for thought or at least some entertainment.

The last Phantom was a piece of flaming turd; that probably didnt help sales, or production. The V2.0 is crap, ive completely given up on it. Cant fly a straight line, or sit still. They need to fix the flight controller before they keep trying to release more BS features.

Honestly, and I have nothing to prove this other then gut feel, but I think Phantom production has dropped off because of uncertainties in the consumer market for this type of drone. iFlight Technology Company Limited, the parent company of DJI, is investing heavily in commercial products and services, while most their short term income is coming from the Maverick/Spark line of products.

Maverick/Spark are targeted at the hobbyist/toy market, with a good but not great product that the mass market can play with. Phantom and Inspire were intended for the semi professional and professional markets, with high end video capabilities and advanced flight and safety features.

As local resistant to drone and drone hobbyists increases, that market will certainly contract. Who wants a drone you can’t fly. However, commercial applications are just starting to become a reality and in these areas, there are far fewer legal and consumer use restriction considerations and both money and clout to fight those restrictions that do come into play.

So, if your a growing drone maker, wanting to protect your profits, do you play the short game or the long game. iFlight Technology Company Limited is not a public company, so they can afford the play the long game. Which for them would be to incrementally invest in their hobbyist line of products, enough to keep it interesting, while focusing most of your R&D into your commercial solutions in anticipation of that market exploding. In the mean time, kill off any semi professional products, like the Phantom line.

I think we may be over thinking this in some cases. Sticking to (mostly) what we know.

I purchased the P4P V2.0 (which has been faultless for me) on the first day of availability in Australia (from Memory August 21st or abouts) within 2 months it was widely being reported as being out of stock including on the DJI shop webpage so I hear, I haven't checked. It seems to be worse in the U.S. from what I could see because a check yesterday showed it in stock in 3 stores within 15KM of my location ... so let's settle on "very low" stock. Maybe we get more because we are closer to China, or because it's easier to fill Australia's much lower sales numbers. Maybe it's just luck.

We'd all be aware of the ongoing announcements from DJI about a $150Million dollar loss due to fraud in the "components procurement" section of the business, they also say it's "only the tip of the ice burg". As someone else pointed out, DJI usually only pulls the pin on a model a relatively short time before the next model. I can't think of an occasion when both haven''t been available on the shelves at the same time one running out as the other comes in.

I find it a pretty easy connection to make between a huge issue with fraud in components procurement and the model becoming hard to find only 2 or so months after release. Especially when DJI themselves have said that while all other models of the P4 have reached end of life the V2.0 was in production but short of supply due to issues with parts suppliers.

Now I don't have any special relationship with a DJI employee but I am pretty chummy with my local DJI authorised dealer and service repairer, lord knows I spend enough there. He tells me that he usually knows 4 to 6 months before the arrival of a new model as much from the preparations for service as anything else. He tells me he has heard nothing that tells him to prepare for the P5 arriving in the immediate term.

It makes sense, Why should DJI hurry the P5? With the P4P V2.0 they already have the market (not taking into account compacts and foldables) it's the best R.P.A. of it's kind at anything like the price point on the market .... if they could only get enough to market.

So whatever specs the P5 ends up having be it weather proofing, swap able cameras or lenses or whatever, they have no need to rush it and have plenty of time to get it totally right for day one of release. Also if they are holding off on buying, or unable to buy components for the P4P due to this fraud issue it's pretty likely that they are holding off on placing large orders for P5 components until it's all done and dusted also.

My *personal* guess is we won't see a P5 before Mid year at best and while we might not see the P4P V2.0 available again in huge numbers again before then it's going to come down to simply being the supply chain issues rather than any burning desire by DJI to phase out the P4P a full half year before the replacement comes to market. It's not a viable business model to do so. Any sales are better than no sales.

Fat Albert
Yeah “ the guy from DJI told me"
Are you saying I am telling porky pies?
I would not say it if it was not true. Maybe you do so it's easy for you to accuse others of doing so?
I don't my friend. All he told me is that all P4P production had stopped and every model of the Phantom is not selling. I don't know if that is true but he knows better than I do.
The rest is my extrapolation and I stand by it, more so as each day passes. That is, that, the P5 is not too far away.
Watch this if you have not already.
"xDynamics team while we were out at CES this year and got a hands-on look at the production model of their beautiful Evolve drone"
"Between a Phantom and an Inspire"

DKG13CC I think you should send yours back for repair, my P3P V2 flies brilliantly, it is perfection, an incredible piece of engineering. It does everything I ask it to do. All I want is more portability and a zoom.

Moderator

All he told me is that all P4P production had stopped and every model of the Phantom is not selling. I don't know if that is true but he knows better than I do.
The rest is my extrapolation and I stand by it, more so as each day passes. That is, that, the P5 is not too far away.

DJI have been out of stock since back in November.
Don't you think that might be the reason they aren't selling many Phantoms?
I can't see a link between being out of stock for months (something that's never happened before) and a new model.
DJI always were still selling older models when they released new ones.

A look at the specs doesn't support that marketing spin.
Maybe something between a P3 standard and an Inspire 1?
It's got a fixed focus, fixed aperture 12 MP camera, it has a max flight time of 20 mins - which means real world flights of 15-16 minutes.
And a max range of 1000 metres (real world range probably 6-700 metres).
It's obsolete before it gets released. I think I'll pass on that one.

A look at the specs doesn't support that marketing spin.
Maybe something between a P3 standard and an Inspire 1?
It's got a fixed focus, fixed aperture 12 MP camera, it has a max flight time of 20 mins - which means real world flights of 15-16 minutes.
And a max range of 1000 metres (real world range probably 6-700 metres).
It's obsolete before it gets released. I think I'll pass on that one.

Actually Meta4 you're spot on in more ways than you realise. The well known YouTuber "DroneValley" released an update on this just today.

They were released about a year and one month back, sort of, and what I mean by sort of is that all of the units sold or available up to now have been technically classed by xDynamics as "Pre Release" models. They have openly admitted from the start to be aiming for a lower volume niche market, and that development would be ongoing.

The final release market version has just been announced and they see it as being exactly at the point you mentioned, between the Phantom and the Inspire. It's also about between them in size. It's about $US1000 more than a Phantom, I agree I'd like more than a 20 minute duration but that's all an Inspire gives you so *shrug*.

It's carbon fiber frame is supposed to be 10 times stronger than plastic and the original 2/3 sensor camera was always intended to be an interim until final release. There is now a 4/3 sensor available (can't remember if it's zoom) along with a FLIR and also interestingly a stand alone gimbol with a standard mounting plate so you can use any pre purchased camera meaning if you already have an FLIR you don't have to shell out big time for another. All aircraft control and camera gimbol expos have been optimised for premium cinematography.

Then there's the controller, twin built in 7" displays, one for video and the other for telemetry. I will be totally honest, I haven't even held one in the flesh but I suspect it'll be one of those polarising aspects that people love or hate. I'm open.

So that's the latest news to hand .... A P4P V2.0 retails here for $Au2400, I haven't been able to get a price for the xDynamics as there is no Australian dealer yet but a bit of math tells me it's going to be a $4000 - $4500 dollar outlay, more depending on camera options here so will need to be good to justify the price but perhaps it will be.

It'll all come down to when and if we do get a P5 and if so just what it has to offer. I can't see the P5 being much cheaper if it has the rumoured upgrades so I have a feeling my company will be campaigning the P4P's for another year at least and to be honest I don't feel terribly handicapped by that.

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